Crime of the Week--Chapter 4--A Foul Stench
by Flora Belle Jardiniere
Summary: Julia meets a bad end and her death puts Horatio under suspicion because of where the new team found her body.


The unmistakable odor of decaying flesh rose from the nearby swamp, sailed over Horatio's wall, and destroyed the romantic mood he'd been building for his quiet dinner with Leila. Try as he might, he couldn't shake the need to know where the body was, who died, and who did the deed. Leila smelled it too and earned his respect when she said gently,

"I know that look too well, my love. I smell the same stench and it's far too familiar for my liking. Phone the crew on duty and give them a general location, tell them they'll need an air boat and a bloodhound, and let them do the dirty work. You've earned the right to a quiet retirement so take it," and pouted so he'd kiss her.

Her lips were irresistible so he caved into her silent demand, savoring the flavor of her as he prolonged their kiss. He knew he should phone the department and let them know of the death, but couldn't raise the desire for anyone other than the captivating minx in his arms. He supported her while she walked over to the bay window and helped her sit on the divan so they could watch the sunset over their slice of heaven. He was on his way to retrieve their dessert when her screams told him the murder took place a lot closer to home than either of them wanted.

He looked up in time to see a blood-soaked arm rise from the weeds and disappear as an alligator began feeding on the free meal. He was extremely reluctant to phone in but knew it was necessary so he did, telling Calleigh,

"There's body floating in the inlet behind my home and a gator has begun feasting on it. You need to send a team down her to retrieve it before it disappears into the reptile."

Calleigh knew the gravelly voice well enough to hear the faintest hint of strain in it, which told her that Horatio chose to retire at a very good time. She knew if the sight of something he'd seen his entire adult life unhinged him that he wouldn't survive the rigors of an investigation. She wondered if he'd bear up well under interrogation and knew she had to reassign the case because of their friendship and long working relationship.

She brought her new team together and issued the order to head for Whispering Willows Retirement Village immediately to recover a body and open an investigation into how it became one. She was pleased to see Chad Littleton take the lead and grab his gear first. He picked his team carefully and wisely, taking Marissa Carrolton and Lucas Smart with him.

Marissa had taken SCUBA and other underwater forensics courses from Eric, so the kid knew her stuff well. Lucas Smart was well-versed in taking impressions in anything if they were there to take, and Chad knew the inlets like the back of his hand. He proved his wisdom in forensics when he asked,

"Should I drive to the village and get permission to enter the inlet? Or should I phone the Coast Guard patrols responsible for guarding it and get their permission to use an air boat, since the body is in the water?"

She had the team wait while she secured their entry permits, since they'd get better access if they entered the inlet on land and used Horatio's dock to get the body. She phoned Horatio also to let him know the team was on its way, when he told her he'd let them into his inlet because he had the only key. That spelled trouble for her former boss, since possessing the sole key made him an instant person of interest.

The team arrived to mayhem and watched an elderly man and his crippled girlfriend fishing the body onto the dock. They were in for a severe shock to their systems when the man rose and they recognized him as the former head of the crime lab now led by his former ballistics expert. He dripped in sweat from the exertions and they knew of his gunshot wounds, so they urged him to sit and rest while they finished the job he started.

Chad learned why Lieutenant Caine had such trouble getting the body out of the water. There was a ten-foot alligator attached to its right arm, and it was tugging on it with his full strength to keep it in the water with him. That was unfortunate for the gator, since it meant the death of the beast to discover how much of the body it ate and what evidence it held in its stomach. He signaled to Lucas and between them they wrestled the body out of the gator's jaws, then lured it onto dry land to make it easier to kill.

It was Marissa's first case as a CSI so she amazed everyone when she didn't lose her dinner, but got to work putting the gator out of its misery. She further surprised them by slitting the belly of the beast on the spot after rolling it onto its back on a huge tarp she brought expressly for the task. Her new colleagues didn't know she was an experienced triage nurse, but Kyle learned that from the way she handled field casualties and informed his father of the fact, saying proudly,

"Marissa was one of my unit's best nurses, especially when it came to triage. I'm surprised you didn't ask me about her, since I told you we worked together."

Horatio was nonplussed by his lack and it showed in his increased heart rate, so Leila stepped in to ease it, saying,

"Your father was distracted by the dozens of things he had to do to retire from the force, so it likely slipped his mind. I'm sure he'd have remembered eventually, since he gave Miss Carrolton her preliminary interview."

Marissa coughed to gain their attention and excused Horatio's ignorance immediately, saying,

"The lieutenant was still out on sick leave when I came on board, ma'am. It was Mr. and Mrs. Delko that did the interview and testing, so Mr. Caine hasn't met me yet. Speaking of which, it's very nice to meet you at last, sir," and bowed as she returned to her work.

Her team mates busied with the body, carefully rolling it onto a tarp similar to the one that held the gator. Kyle wandered over to observe out of curiosity and soon returned, paled to parchment and shaking like a leaf, so Horatio decided to see what upset his son. He too returned much paler than he was when he went to investigate, which made Ray do the same.

When he also came back pale and shaky, Leila prodded Horatio for answers, saying,

"Who's our victim," lending support and offering her expert help if it was needed by her choice of words.

"Our victim is my ex-girlfriend, Julia Eberly-Winston, late of the Miami Shores Condominiums. She's Kyle's biological mother but I'm unsure why Ray reacted as he did, so perhaps he can enlighten us," and both men gasped in shock when Ray admitted,

"I met her when someone set us up on a blind date. She was willing and so was I. End of story," and sat heavily on the lawn.

"It seems Ms. Eberly knew a good man when she saw him," Leila intervened. "Had you begun your career in the Marines when you met her?"

"I was between major crimes, so it was a year or so before I joined the Corps," he hung his head, ashamed of being young and hot for a very beautiful woman.

Kyle stepped up and sat beside his cousin, saying gently,

"We hadn't see each other in ages when you met my mother, so there was no way you'd have known she was if she didn't tell you. How did you attract her attention? She normally won't give broke guys the time of day," and gasped himself when Ray confessed,

"She was training me in grifting because she saw how the young ladies liked my good looks and liked that I was smart enough to learn her complicated scamming techniques. I got bored after my first few days because I wasn't into it, so I split. Her new, rich husband died shortly after that so I was glad I didn't go in with her on her scheme."

Ray saw his uncle's hurt look and comforted him somewhat, saying gently,

"I didn't have the heart to tell you how far I fell, Uncle Horatio. Mom doesn't know anything about what I was up to, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell her. She's got enough to worry over with her new husband and the three kids he surprised her with."

"Yelina remarried," Horatio asked faintly, alarming Leila with the sudden weakness in his voice.

Ray nodded absently, as worried about his uncle as everyone else was. He was used to Horatio being a take charge kind of guy, so seeing him being vulnerable worried him. Kyle knew exactly what to do and made his father comfortable while he took his vital signs. His pulse was strong and steady, so he did a quick palpation of the area of his father's recent surgery and was alarmed to feel the damp, stickiness of blood.

The wound should've healed long ago but obviously hadn't, so he asked harshly,

"Did you really heal as well as you told your doc, dad? Or did you lie so he'd let you come home sooner than he thought was wise?"

The man's sheepish look at his new fiancée told his boys everything they needed to know. He was supposed to be resting more than he was, but had a new sweetheart and thought he didn't have to obey his doctor's orders. Kyle used his CO's spare chair and wheeled his dad into the den, pulled out and wiped down his work table with sanitary wipes he always carried, and laid his dad carefully on the clean surface.

Ray joined them and turned on the bright overhead lights, when the pair learned how serious Horatio's last bullet wound really was. The doc had removed most but not all of it and a stray piece of shrapnel had penetrated his abdominal wall. The shard was easily removed but had cut deeply enough into his stomach that he needed surgery to stitch up the slice and patch the hole so nothing leaked into the surrounding areas.

He phoned 911 and insisted that they transport his father to the nearest naval hospital for surgery, using his own military rank and clout to get his way. The van arrived and two beefy EMTs carefully loaded Horatio into the back, permitting General Davenport and her Corporal to accompany the ailing lieutenant, but insisting that her Sergeant at Arms stand down and follow them in his private car. Ray understood seniority and also the need for a vehicle when the doctor finished stitching up his uncle, so he did as they commanded.

He phoned Susie and Madison to join him because he needed help with his boss. She wasn't exactly petite so he couldn't manage her safely on his own. Leila smiled at his kind description of her, since she'd put on weight thanks to being immobilized by her artificial limbs. It was a situation she planned to remedy with laps in the village pool so she'd fit into the wedding gown she wanted to wear on her special day. She also wanted to be svelte so her sweetheart looked upon a beautiful woman as he undressed her on their honeymoon, because no woman in her right mind wanted to be fat when she made love with her man for the first time.

Kyle watched his father struggle to remain awake and knew the man was in much more serious trouble than he admitted to being in. He wanted to be angry because he'd been deceived but fully understood why his father did it. He was protecting his family from worry, which he'd done for his entire life. He knew that because he spoke with his Aunt Yelina and learned how to tell when he was hiding things he shouldn't.

He learned from dealing with Horatio when he should leave well enough alone and how to press him for details he wanted to share, but felt his role as a father didn't allow him the luxury of sharing. He realized that he was the same way and figured it was a family trait, passed from generation to generation mostly through example. He was a modern enough man to be gentle but honest when he told his family something they needed to know, and he was gratified to see that his dad was beginning to learn from him for a change.

He knew the change had more to do with the woman Horatio would soon marry than with him, since she was an ace at coaxing information from the most reluctant people. It helped a great deal to know that she was his boss but more that she loved his father with her every sinew. He was the first one she turned to when she decided to lose the excess weight that made walking difficult and was very proud of her for being courageous enough to enter the water without her prostheses.

He watched her closely for fatigue and knew when the time was right to insist that she leave the water and get some rest. She struggled to swim a few laps during her first few weeks but was doing a mile easily by the end of her first three months. They planned a Valentine's Day wedding, so she had a lot of work getting pared down to the size she wanted to be in time to stand beside Horatio when they said their vows.

He saw the elaborate decorating scheme and knew the pair planned something very special for what would be their last marriage in this lifetime. He wasn't permitted to see the preliminary sketches of the dress because he was Horatio's Best Man and Leila was more superstitious than she wanted to admit. It went without saying she'd wear a royal blue garter and borrow something dainty from one of her attendants to fulfill the old bridal poem to the letter. She had to forego the penny in her shoe but showed her unique sense of humor by wearing a hat shaped like one and putting a cloth penny inside of it.

She insisted that Horatio wear a dove gray morning suit with a steel gray shirt and teal tie. She didn't want him in a cummerbund so she had ready access to his buttons, but that's another story for another day. She had fantasies of running her fingers through his auburn chest hair because she imagined it would be soft and silky against them.

Horatio had his own ideas of what she'd look like when they wheeled her down the aisle. He didn't want her suffering undue pain, so he insisted that she sit in it until she reached the dais, when he'd help her to her feet and support her while they said their vows. No one knew that the injury the doctor stitched back together would keep him down until after their original wedding date, but it did.

When it became obvious he wasn't going to make it to the church, Leila inveigled the minister and their full wedding party to follow her into his hospital room. He dozed fitfully and bolted upright when he heard the ruckus of over fifty people outside his room, thinking one of his horde of enemies found and was about to do him in. He practically lit the street with his glowing face when he saw his blushing bride and their closest kindred had come to help him keep his promise to her.

Then he knew for certain he did the right thing and it dropped a great weight from his heart and conscience. He had eyes only for his fetching bride in her pale champagne gown, and she for her groom despite him being under covers in a hospital bed. The couple wrote their own vows and they were deeply moving to their audience, bringing tears to every eye in the house when each of the pair said, "I do," and slid a ring on his/her spouse's finger.

The Court Clerk presented their marriage license for their signatures while the minister waited impatiently to announce the newly married couple. There wasn't a dry eye in the room when he said,

"It gives me great pleasure to announce Mr. and Mrs. Horatio Caine. The groom begs your forgiveness for being unable to rise, but his doctor strictly forbids it," which statement brought down the house.

There were many toasts to the bride and groom, both ribald and sentimental, but Horatio saved the best for last, and made the women turn misty, when he said,

"I thank God for giving me my sweet Leila as my woman, because I'd be totally lost without her. This is for you, my love," and eyed her cleavage as she bent to kiss him.

She wore a gorgeous gown that exposed enough of her beautiful girls to cause his embers to heat in a way they hadn't in eons, so he was most anxious to consummate their vows as soon as possible. He wondered what made Doc Evans smile when she spoke with him until the room cleared of company and she rejoined him wearing what he could only describe as a delicious confection of lace and silk that increased his ardor for her to the boiling point.

He wondered how she planned to carry off her daring scheme until she used her strong arms and leverage to lift onto his lap. Once safely in his arms and bed, she leaned over and whispered,

"I haven't been with a man intimately, so be patient with me."

He was stunned to learn that his passionate wife hadn't made love with a man, but was honest enough to admit he was honored and terrified. She asked why he was scared of her, and he answered,

"I've never deflowered a virgin, so we're both new to this. We'll take things slowly until we're on firmer footing intimately," as he carefully slipped a strap and began caressing the soft flesh it exposed.

He felt the lightning bolt hit him and knew it hit her, when she moaned,

"Is this what lovemaking feels like? It's marvelous," as she returned his favors by carefully removing his pajama top and kissing the exposed flesh she found.

She was an ace at commanding her battalion but had no clue how to command a certain fleshy soldier, so Horatio let her toy with him until his member rose to her sensual occasion. He trailed shaking fingers all over her breasts, cupping each one in a warm hand as he kissed its nipple to life. He'd never had the time to experiment, though he'd been a thoughtful and very thorough lover to the few women he courted and bed over the years.

Most of his unions were rushed by work interfering at the midpoint, so he half-listened for the phone to ring while they made love. Leila wasn't sure her idea would work but wanted to try so she'd have Horatio all to herself on this momentous night, so she used her only hand to carefully enclose his tumescence and became enthralled by his response to her experiments. Horatio burned for Leila as he hadn't for any woman, not even Julia and Marisol, because she was the only one who took the time to play with him first.

She admitted that she lacked expertise and he encouraged her to keep trying because what she did felt wonderful. He worried how she'd manage when it came time to join, and then learned he needn't worry at all because she got very creative with her body. She didn't lift so much as scoot until she needed a slight lift to descend. She faltered a bit because she didn't want to hurt him, but persisted until she'd impaled on him and begun a slow, loving descent that drove him insane with need.

Never had a woman done what she did and he knew her love for him drove her actions, making him all the more special. He'd been ordered to lie as still as possible but her movements urged him to dance too, so he did. Theirs was a slow, thorough introduction to each other that ended on mutual sighs of joy so intense it blinded them to everything but each other.

Julius snuck into the ward and heard their commotion, as did Raymundo who'd tiptoed in behind him. The slats were tightly closed on the blinds, but you didn't need eyes to know what was going on in Horatio's recovery room. Raymundo accompanied his captain thinking they still had a chance to snatch Horatio away from Leila, but learned the door was firmly locked from the sounds the woman made when she climaxed. Raymond envied the lieutenant his wife because she was beautiful and her sounds brought him near the edge just hearing them.

Julius didn't like the look in his buddy's eyes one bit and knew he meant trouble for Horatio so he'd have a chance with the man's new bride. He also knew he was as safe as he'd ever be pursuing his criminal enterprises, especially now that the lieutenant was happily retired and ecstatically married to a woman any man would enjoy having for his own. He didn't understand that it took a lot of work to create and keep passions alive, but knew all too well the pleasures of sex and orgasm.

He knew from his companion's body language that he was turned on by the sounds of the couple's intimate activities and got them out of the hallway before they were spotted. Raymundo knew the necessity of the move even though he didn't want to make it. Both men were wanted by the law and so had to be extremely cautious when out and about their evil business.

The newlyweds in the private hospital room were oblivious to the outside world for three days, because Doc Evans and the staff made sure no one interrupted their amorous activities. He couldn't believe that two people as inhibited as they were could do what they did in his hospital, but they did. There was no doubt whatsoever they were a firmly bonded pair when he regretfully informed them that he could no longer restrain their family from visiting.

Leila had a red face and a very satisfied grin when Yelina popped into visit with her brother-in-law. Her eyes went to Horatio before they found his bride, and she was happy only when she saw the telltale smirk of a very satisfied man. She was finally able to let go of the weight she carried to look after him, when his wife said,

"Hi, you must be Yelina Salas. It's nice to meet you at last. I'm General Leila Davenport, US Marine, retired. I'm a very blessed woman to have your brother-in-law as my husband," and laid her head on his chest.

"I'm glad to meet you too, Leila, as my son Ray has nothing but good things to say about you. And you, Horatio, what have you to say for yourself," she asked, only half-jokingly.

They hadn't spoken in years because he was man enough to let her work things out in her way, instead of running roughshod over her ideas as his brother had. She casually looked over the new woman in his life and gasped when she saw no legs outlined by the covers. Horatio knew when to stave off his friend's worries from her expression, so he said,

"Leila is a very capable and flexible woman in spite of the horrendous injuries she suffered during her three tours of duty in Iraq, Yelina. She has the strongest arms of any woman I've ever met," he added musingly as he eyed her hungrily.

"You're an outrageous flirt, is what you are," Leila rebutted as she returned his perusal, going first to his lips, which she kissed tenderly, then to his chest as her fingers tangled in the thick mat of hair that grew there.

Yelina coughed to remind them they had company, when Horatio looked towards the window and saw the rest of his disparate family gathered, waiting their turn to visit with him and his bride. There was also his daily exam to endure, though Leila gave an entirely new meaning to the word as she examined the shell of his ear with her tongue. He wondered how she resisted temptation for her entire adult life but was glad she did, because he had her passion all to himself.


End file.
